LOST IN THE FLOOD - 7-inch (The 80's)

1980
Two Tickets To Paradise (by Eddie Money) / Badlands / Do You Feel All Right (by KC & The Sunshine Band) / Wavelength (by Van Morrison) (SP RECORDS 1054)
Mega-rare Thailand-only "Super Hits" Various Artists EP; often incorrectly referred to as a Taiwanese pressing. Odd colour picture sleeve depicts a photo of a jukebox on front; both the rear sleeve and label feature misspellings of "Bad Lands" and "Bruce Sprongsteen". Note that in addition to the “flower” picture label variant shown below, copies also exist with plain red labels.

Hungry Heart / Held Up Without A Gun
Regular configuration used in most parts of the world. Picture sleeve copies are available from the US (COL 11-11391), Australia (CBS BA 222748), the UK (where recalled original pressings featured blue title lettering rather than the standard black type on front), France, Holland (with no less than three different rear designs; partially printed for export), Spain (click here for scans of the Spanish picture sleeve and white promo labels) and Italy (all CBS 9309). Note that from "Hungry Heart" onwards through 1984, all Springsteen 45s manufactured in the UK were issued with two different label variants; one being the standard orange/yellow paper type and the other being a brown plastic-injected label. The first Japanese issue (CBS/SONY 07SP 511) came with a unique colour insert featuring a gorgeous portrait shot of Bruce, but this version was eventually withdrawn and replaced with the more common black-and-white "boardwalk" image, although the catalogue number remained the same. Also released in Argentina (CBS 23.315; with Spanish song title translations on labels); Costa Rica (CBS 12373), Mexico (CBS 8365), Peru (CBS CSR 1152) and the Philippines (CBS/SONY S-1340; with unique blue labels; issued by licensee “Blackgold Records”); all coming in plain CBS sleeves. This was Springsteen's debut Top 10 single in the US, as well as his first one featuring a non-album B-side.

Left to right: The withdrawn original Japanese artwork for "Hungry Heart", the French picture sleeve, the Italian picture sleeve, the "standard" design used in most other parts of the world, and the UK-only "blue type" variation

Hungry Heart / Stolen Car (CBS 43.043)
Rare Brazil-only release playing at 33 1/3 rpm. Unique colour picture sleeve (often featuring some kind of stamp and/or sticker); an unknown number of copies, however, were issued in a die-cut orange CBS logo bag instead. Marks the only worldwide appearance of "Stolen Car" on an official single of any format.

Hungry Heart / Bayou (by The Love Unlimited Orchestra) (CBS/UNLIMITED GOLD JC 15054)
Italy-only white label promotional release for jukebox use. Most copies in circulation come in die-cut CBS logo sleeves, although some were issued with the regular Italian "Hungry Heart" picture sleeve featuring a label cut-out hole. Either variant contains a jukebox title strip.

Hungry Heart / Wreck On The Highway (CBS SSC 5146)
South Africa-only release in this form. Die-cut CBS logo sleeve.

Hungry Heart - Flexidisc (TONPRESS R-1167)
Government-approved, one-sided 7-inch square flexidisc from Poland with totally unrelated photo motif. Came in weird, thin colour art sleeve. Numerous other Springsteen songs have been issued on postcard flexis in both Poland and Russia, but all of these were underground pressings and thus are "inofficial".

1981
Fade Away / Be True
Issued in the US and Canada (both COL 11-11431; black-and-white picture sleeve; withdrawn initial copies from either country featuring incorrect song title "To Be True" on labels) and in Australia (CBS BA 222801; no picture sleeve). It is of note that the vinyl on an unknown number of US copies, although appearing to be plain black, actually is translucent red when held against a bright light.

Fade Away / The Ties That Bind (CBS BA 222801)
Very rare, withdrawn New Zealand-only release quickly replaced by BA 222806, which featured "Be True" on the B-side. Plain CBS company sleeve in either case.

I Wanna Marry You / Be True (CBS/SONY 07SP 525)
Japan-only release. Black-and-white picture/lyric insert. Also pressed as a white label promotional issue with same catalogue number and packaging.

Sherry Darling / Independence Day (CBS 9568)
Extremely rare UK-only white label promotional pressing with "wrong" B-side; immediately withdrawn and replaced by the common corrected version (same catalogue number) featuring "Be True" on the flip. As evidenced by a private, handwritten letter from late famous UK “Capital Radio” DJ and major Springsteen fan/insider Roger Scott sent to “Point Blank” fanzine editor Dan French in late January 1981, the production of this 7” came about because CBS’ London branch did not receive their master copy of “Be True” in time and hence decided to use another “River” album track in its place (click here for facsimiles of a follow-up note from Scott). According to Chris Hunt's Springsteen discography in the "Blinded By The Light" book, around 100 of these were made; with an unknown number coming in a colour picture sleeve that was similar to later UK issues (see below), but of course listed "Independence Day" on front. It is believed that no more than two (!) genuine picture sleeve copies are currently in the hands of collectors, while a super-rare, presumably unique uncut proof slick is also known to exist.

Sherry Darling / Be True (CBS 9568)
Extremely rare issue which most likely was a test pressing, although this is unconfirmed. Disc carries unusual straight yellow “CBS Records” labels with typewritten artist/song information and catalogue number, as well as “For Demonstration Purposes Only” imprints on either side. Although these labels do not specifically imply its origin, the matrix numbers in the run-off grooves are identical to UK stock and white label promo pressings of the regular “Sherry Darling” single. Issued in black die-cut CBS logo sleeve.

Sherry Darling / Be True (CBS 9568)
Released in most parts of Europe. Picture sleeve copies exist from Germany, Holland, Spain and the UK; with the German issue (which came inside a Dutch-printed sleeve mentioning "Be True" on front) being the rarest of the lot. The Spanish pressing was reissued in 1985 with both orange/yellow and red labels.

Left to right: "Sherry Darling" picture sleeves from Germany, Holland, Spain and the UK (front and rear shown)

Sherry Darling / Cadillac Ranch (CBS SSC 5178)
Scarce South Africa-only release. No picture sleeve.

Sherry Darling / Hungry Heart (CBS 9568)
Very rare Spain-only promotional release for jukebox use, carrying regular orange/yellow labels without any promo markings and issued in a die-cut CBS Madrid logo sleeve. Some (if not all) copies originally contained typewritten jukebox title strips. Note that the catalogue number is identical to standard European stock copies of the “Sherry Darling” single.

The River - Flexidisc (CBS; no catalogue number)
Manufactured in Holland, and exclusively available as a freebie to subscribers of Austrian pop magazine "Rennbahn Express" with their June 1981 issue; presenting "The River" as "LP of the month". Plays at 33 1/3 rpm and contains excerpts from "Sherry Darling", "The River", "The Ties That Bind" (misspelt "The Tie That Bind" on the disc) and "Hungry Heart"; plus three short live fragments that are unique to this item. Also features a spoken moderation by "Blue Danube Radio" DJ Brian Taylor. Matrix number SHOL 3136 A etched into the run-off groove.

Cadillac Ranch / Be True (CBS A 1052)
France-only release in this form. Colour picture sleeve with misprint of “Stollen Car” on rear. The first European Springsteen 45 featuring an “A” prefix in its catalogue number.

The Ties That Bind / I'm A Rocker (CBS SSC 5207)
South Africa-only release in plain CBS logo sleeve. Extremely rare.

The River / Independence Day (CBS A 1179)
Issued in most parts of Europe. Picture sleeve copies exist from Germany, Holland, Spain and the UK.

Picture sleeves for "The River" from Holland (left), Spain (center) and the UK (right)

The River / Ramrod (CBS A 1356)
Pressed in Holland (for export) and France (for domestic distribution), with the French issue turning up less frequently on the collector's market. Both versions share the same catalogue number and unique colour picture sleeve; the Dutch pressing has a weird lyric misprint (mixing up the words to "The River" and "You Can Look...") on rear.

The River / I’m A Rocker (CBS BA 222789)
Australia-only release in this form. No picture sleeve. Promotional white label copies (see scans below) were also pressed with same catalogue number.

The River / Point Blank (CBS BA 222843)
Very rare New Zealand-only release. No picture sleeve.

Point Blank / Ramrod (CBS A 1489)
Holland-only pressing reported to have been scheduled as the final Dutch single release from "The River", but eventually scrapped for unknown reasons. Unique colour picture sleeve. Of the nine copies that are currently known to exist in the hands of collectors (all coming with standard orange/yellow labels), eight have large center holes, while the ninth features a small hole instead. The small center pressing - pictured below right - remains a particular mystery, as CBS Holland did in fact not start to regularly manufacture such variations until 1984. Matrix numbers are 011489IAI (A-side) and 011489IBI (B-side). One of the "Holy Grails" of Springsteen collecting.

Cadillac Ranch / Wreck On The Highway (CBS A 1557)
UK-only release. Unique full-colour picture sleeve.

Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (live) / Same (COL AE7 1332)
US white label promotional release for “In Harmony 2” charity album. Hilarious “Santa” cartoon sleeve.

Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (live) / Nobody Knows But Me (by Billy Joel) (CBS PRO 151)
Dutch promotional release for “In Harmony 2” album. Different “Santa” cartoon sleeve to US issue, and also a lot more difficult to find. Disc carries regular orange/yellow labels.

Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (live) / White Christmas (by Barbra Streisand) (CBS/SONY XDSP 93026)
Japan-only promotional release issued in a spectacular, totally unique black-and-white picture sleeve. Disc carries standard orange labels marked "For Promotion Only" with additional imprint reading, "This Is The No. 1 Christmas Song!" on both sides. Impossibly rare.

1982
Atlantic City / Mansion On The Hill (CBS A 2794)
Issued in most parts of the world except the US (where, oddly enough, not even promotional 45s were made). Picture sleeve copies exist from Holland, Italy, Spain, the UK (with an unknown number of discs featuring the B-side label for "Mansion On The Hill" erroneously stuck onto both sides) and Japan (CBS/SONY 07SP 657).

Left to right: "Atlantic City" as released in Holland/Spain, Italy, Japan and the UK

Open All Night / The Big Payback (CBS A 2969)
Europe-only release pressed in Holland, Spain and the UK (all with black-and-white picture sleeves). B-side is a non-album track that was not available on any other format for ten years straight. The Spanish pressing was reissued in 1985 with red labels, whereas originals featured orange/yellow ones.

Both available "Open All Night" picture sleeve variants from Holland/Spain (left) and the UK (right)

1983
Hungry Heart / Fade Away
"Hall Of Fame" double-A reissue in die-cut logo sleeve. Pressed in Canada (COL C4-1107) with light blue/purple “Hall Of Fame”/“Disques D’Or” labels and in the US (COL 13 03243) with both red/black and grey labels.

Springsteen Pack (CBS; no individual catalogue number)
Rare Ireland-only reissue of four 45s (“Born To Run”, “The Promised Land”, “Hungry Heart” and “The River”) in special clear PVC display wallet with red cardboard header; withdrawn due to several misspellings on the labels ("Meeting Across The Water", "Head Up Without A Gun", "V. Landay", "Steve Van Landt") and overall inferior vinyl quality. Both “Born To Run” and “The Promised Land” came in unique black-and-white picture sleeves, while “Hungry Heart” and “The River” featured same packaging as the original UK pressings. All four singles also carried regular UK catalogue numbers.

1984
Dancing In The Dark / Pink Cadillac
Standard configuration issued in most parts of the world. No remarkable picture sleeve variations apart from a very collectable Brazilian promotional pressing (CBS 43.578) that had the standard artwork reproduced in grainy black-and-white rather than colour, with only a blue tone laid over Bruce's shirt (pictured below left). It is of note that from "Dancing In The Dark" onwards through 1996, most Springsteen singles made in Holland were pressed with both large and small center holes (see scan below right for a small center example).

Dancing In The Dark / Pink Cadillac (Mono) (CBS/SONY 07SP 810)
Japanese pressing containing a Mono version of the B-side not available on any other issue of this 45. Colour picture/lyric insert.

Dancing In The Dark / Pink Cadillac (CBS SSC 5639)
Zimbabwe issue that actually utilized South African pressings of the single, overlaid with “new” white labels. Distributed in a variety of different die-cut sleeves, including the “CBS - The Music People” logo variant from South Africa pictured below.

Dancing In The Dark / Born In The U.S.A. (CBS DEP 348)
Argentina-only release containing heavily edited versions of both songs. Stock copies as well as promos have red labels with Spanish song title translations and were issued in die-cut CBS logo sleeves.

Dancing In The Dark / My Hometown (CBS 7012843)
Obscure Costa Rica-only release, pressed with both standard orange/yellow and pink labels. Either version came in a die-cut CBS logo sleeve.

Dancing In The Dark / Working On The Highway (CBS 133-0091)
Unique track coupling released in Ecuador only. Disc was pressed and distributed by domestic manufacturers "IFESA (Industria Fonografica Ecuatoriana S.A.)" on behalf of CBS, and circulates in a large variety of different die-cut “IFESA” plastic or paper logo sleeves.

Dancing In The Dark / Holding Out For A Hero (by Bonnie Tyler) (CBS JC 15119)
Italy-only white label promotional issue for jukebox use. Plain sleeve.

Cover Me / Jersey Girl (live)
Released worldwide with no more than two picture sleeve variations of note (the UK being the only country using an alternate design). A limited 1985 UK reissue (CBS A 4662; same catalogue number as original pressings) came in unlaminated fold-out poster sleeve that did not mention the song title on front. US copies from different print runs feature no less than three varying running times for the B-side (partially omitting Bruce’s short spoken intro completely), but identical catalogue numbers (COL 38-04561).

Left to right: “Cover Me” artwork from Japan (based on the common design used in most parts of the world), original UK picture sleeve and 1985 UK poster sleeve reissue

Cover Me / Same (CBS DEP 417)
Argentine promotional release. Disc has red labels with Spanish song title translation ("Cubreme") and comes in die-cut CBS logo sleeve. Rare mispressed copies exist with the B-side playing a latin song instead of "Cover Me".

Cover Me / I'm On Fire (CBS 7012880)
Another unusual double-A coupling unique to Costa Rica. No picture sleeve.

Born In The U.S.A. / Dancing In The Dark / Cover Me / No Surrender (CBS 10445)
Extremely rare Bolivia-only EP. Colour picture sleeve with “Born In The U.S.A.” album cover artwork. Plays at 33 1/3 rpm and marks the only 7-inch release of “No Surrender”.

Born In The U.S.A. / Shut Out The Light
Standard configuration issued in most parts of the world except the UK. Colour picture sleeve. No remarkable variations apart from a misprint of "Shut Out The Lights" found on the labels of early Canadian pressings (COL 38-04680).

Born In The U.S.A. / Shut Out The Light (CBS 4920)
Rare and unusual Spanish advance promotional issue. Die-cut CBS Madrid logo sleeve carries a generic sticker with artist/track info, while the disc itself just features rubber-stamped catalogue numbers (“4920-A” for the A-side and “4920-B” for the B-side) on regular white labels.

Footloose (by Kenny Loggins) / Cum On Feel The Noize (by Quiet Riot) / Dancing In The Dark / So Tired (by Ozzy Osbourne) (CBS 86.815)
Scarce Brazil-only "Four Super Rocks" 33 1/3 rpm promotional EP. Unique colour picture sleeve with small photo insets of all featured artists; disc carries orange/yellow "Discos CBS" labels that have a "Four Super Rock" title misprint on both sides.

1985
Cover Me / Jersey Girl (live) plus Born To Run / Meeting Across The River (CBS DA 4662)
UK-only double pack that featured both 45s shrinkwrapped together. “Cover Me” came in the standard (laminated) “jumpin’ shot” picture sleeve with red/white “limited edition” sticker on front, while “Born To Run” was issued in a black die-cut sleeve; either single carries its regular individual UK catalogue number (CBS A 4662 and CBS 7077, respectively).

I’m On Fire / Johnny Bye Bye
Standard configuration issued in most parts of the world except the UK. International picture sleeves were widely similar apart from the fact that some pressings did not mention the B-side on front, while two different designs for the Dutch version (CBS A 6148; released with both red and orange/yellow labels) featured notable variations in the “Johnny Bye Bye” title lettering (see scans below).

I’m On Fire / Born In The U.S.A. (CBS A 6342)
Double-A 45 unique to the UK and Ireland. Colour picture sleeve is similar to the abovementioned, globally released issues apart from a different typeface/layout and, with some UK copies (featuring a special sticker on front), included a ticket competition insert for the July 4, 1985 Wembley Stadium show.

I’m On Fire (CBS; no catalogue number)
Spanish one-sided white label promotional issue with unique colour picture sleeve.

I’m On Fire / Girl’s Got A Brand New Toy (by T.X.T.) (CBS JC 15150)
Italy-only white label promotional issue for jukebox use. Most copies in circulation come in die-cut CBS logo sleeves, although a few were issued with the regular Italian "I'm On Fire" picture sleeve featuring a label cut-out hole. Either variant contains a jukebox title strip.

Glory Days / Stand On It
Standard configuration released worldwide. Picture sleeve variations of interest include the UK issue (CBS A 6375) depicting a sharp drawing of Bruce playing guitar in front of an oversized US flag, and the Japanese version (CBS/SONY 07SP 896) that came with a fold-out insert featuring live photos, tour dates and setlists. Note that this was the last Springsteen 7-inch pressed in Germany; all subsequent 45s were imported to the country from Holland.

"Glory Days" standard worldwide picture sleeve (first row left), UK-only artwork (first row right) and Japanese fold-out insert (second row; both sides shown)

Glory Days (CBS; no catalogue number)
Spanish one-sided white label promotional issue with unique colour picture sleeve.

Glory Days / Same (CBS PR-33)
Mexican white label promotional issue with Spanish song title translation ("Dias De Gloria"). Red die-cut Columbia plastic sleeve.

Hungry Heart / The River (CBS PROMO 1)
Ultra-scarce New Zealand-only promotional release issued to push radio airplay and, consequently, back catalogue sales of the “River” album during Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.” heyday (June 1985); reportedly limited to around 40 copies. Regular orange/yellow CBS labels with special "Demonstration Record" sticker. Originally came in a die-cut CBS New Zealand company sleeve.

I’m Goin’ Down / Janey Don’t You Lose Heart
Released in Australia, Japan and Europe. Two issues of note are the pressings from Spain (CBS A 6561 SG) and Japan (CBS/SONY 10SP 914) which came in different de-luxe gatefold picture sleeves including sets of three and five colour Bruce postcards, respectively. Both versions misspelt "Janie Don't You Lose Heart"; with the Spanish sleeve even highlighting that song on front as if it was the A-side.

"I'm Goin' Down" front and inner gatefold sleeves from Japan (first row) and Spain (second row)

Janey Don’t You Lose Heart / I’m Goin’ Down (CBS; no catalogue number)
Spain-only white label promotional 45 reversing the standard coupling for whatever reason. Regular (non-gatefold) colour picture sleeve with lyrics to "Janey..." on rear.

I’m Goin’ Down / Alone Without You (by King) (CBS JC 15155)
Italy-only white label promotional issue for jukebox use. Plain sleeve.

Glory Days / Made In Heaven (by Freddie Mercury) / Universal Radio (by Nina Hagen) / Tired Of Being Blonde (by Carly Simon) (CBS 640.012)
Brazil-only 33 1/3 rpm "Pepsi Is Music" promotional freebie EP with white "CBS Especial" labels in black-and-white art title sleeve. It is of note that there are actually two different versions of this record in existence; the first (more common) issue just having Pepsi logo imprints on the lower right corner of the front sleeve and on the labels, and the second (slightly rarer) pressing additionally bearing logos of a Brazilian beer brewing company called "Brahma". Both variants of the EP - with identical catalogue numbers - originally were given out together; accompanied by special Pepsi/Brahma beverage glasses (each of which sported an image of one of the four featured artists), although these days it is virtually impossible to find complete sets even in Brazil.

My Hometown / Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (live)
Standard configuration issued in most parts of the world. Picture sleeve variants of note include the UK version (CBS A 6773; featuring cream printing colour rather than the standard black-and-white) and, of course, the Japanese pressing (CBS/SONY 07SP 935) which incorporated odd additional graphics. Also released as a 12-inch single in Europe (CBS A 12.6773) with no extra bonus tracks.

Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (live) / My Hometown (CBS A 6773)
Very rare Portugal-only release in this form; marks the only non-promotional appearance of “Santa Claus...” on a 7-inch A-side and comes in a unique colour picture sleeve. Misprints/typos include “Born In USA” (rear sleeve credits and B-side label), “Bruce Springsten” (production credits on both labels) and “Bod Clearmoutain” (credits on B-side label). Same catalogue number as standard European pressings of “My Hometown”.

1986
Born To Run / Meeting Across The River (CBS 7077)
Withdrawn UK-only reissue in unique colour picture sleeve.

Glory Days / Hot Shot (by Jimmy Cliff) / Smooth Operator (by Sade) / My New Boyfriend (by Carly Simon) (EPIC 22.522)
Brazil-only “Four Super Hits” promotional EP. Colour picture sleeve with small photo insets of all featured artists. Plays at 33 1/3 rpm.

War / Merry Christmas Baby (both live)
Released in most parts of the world. The only pressing of real interest, though, comes from Japan (CBS/SONY 07SP 1000), where the cover shot of Bruce from the “Live / 1975-85” box set was used for the artwork. Two-sided promotional 45s featuring versions of “War” both with and without spoken intro were issued in Holland (CBS PRO 391), the UK (CBS 650193 7) and the US (COL CS7-2557). The regular configuration later was reissued in North America as part of Columbia’s “Hall Of Fame” series (COL 13-68705) with grey labels and a die-cut logo sleeve.

Standard picture sleeve design (left) and exclusive Japanese artwork (right) for "War"

War (live) (CBS 650193 7)
Spanish 1-sided white label promotional issue; same catalogue number as commercial European pressings. Copies exist with both die-cut CBS logo sleeves and regular colour picture sleeves.

War / Born To Run (both live) (CBS PR-650539)
Scarce Mexico-only promotional release with unique track coupling. Disc has white labels featuring Spanish song title translations ("Guerra" and "Fugitivo") and comes in a red die-cut plastic sleeve with CBS "eye" logos.

1987
Fire / For You (both live)
Released in Japan (CBS/SONY 07SP 1013), Australia and most of Europe (it is of note that from this release onwards, catalogue numbers for Australian and European pressings were identical; in this case CBS 650381 7). Colour picture sleeve with no remarkable variations. A two-sided white label promotional issue of “Fire” containing versions both with and without Bruce’s short spoken intro was released in the US (COL CS7-2639).

Fire / Incident On 57th Street (both live)
Alternate configuration released in North America (COL 38-06657; picture sleeve similar to abovementioned international issues) and the Philippines (CBS CS-10166; no picture sleeve).

Fire / Because The Night / Hungry Heart / Born To Run (all live) (CBS SSC 6011)
South Africa-only "Live / 1975-85" promotional EP in title sleeve featuring incorrect/incomplete song title "Hungry" on rear. Disc bears regular orange/yellow labels. Very rare.

Born To Run (live version) / Same (studio version) (CBS XPS 226)
Rare UK-only promotional release. Red labels on disc; plain sleeve.

Born To Run / Johnny 99 (both live) (CBS 650842 7)
Released in Australia and Europe. Colour picture sleeve. A limited-edition "badge pack" from the UK (CBS BRUCE 2BP) came shrinkwrapped with a 1-inch Springsteen badge.

Spirit In The Night / Because The Night (both live) (CBS; no individual catalogue number)
Issued exclusively as part of a UK double-45 box set (CBS BRUCE B2) along with the above “Born To Run” live single; not available separately. Unique black-and-white picture sleeve.

Brilliant Disguise / Lucky Man
Released in most parts of the world. Of particular note to collectors are the limited UK edition that came in de-luxe gatefold picture sleeve with album discography inside (CBS 651141 0); a weird one-sided issue with brownish, "grocery bag"-style sleeve from Japan (CBS/SONY 04SP 1075), and - most importantly - an unbelievably rare Japanese white label promotional pressing (CBS/SONY XDSP 93095 according to the sleeve, although labels [three different variants of which exist] carry a different catalogue number, XDSP 93096). In Germany, standard Dutch stock copies (CBS 651141 7) were distributed as promos with a German-language "CBS Blitzinformation" text sheet enclosed. It is of note that the B-side labels on most worldwide pressings of this single incorrectly refer to “Lucky Man” as a “Tunnel Of Love” album track (click here to see examples from Holland and the UK).

Left to right: Standard "Brilliant Disguise" picture sleeve, inner gatefold design for the limited UK edition, and the Japanese sleeves for their one-sided issue and the white label promo.

Brilliant Disguise / Lucky Man (CBS 651141 7)
Rare promo version issued exclusively to the first 400 attendees of the so-called “Springsteendag”, a convention held by the (unofficial) Dutch fan club “Bruce Springsteen Vereiniging” at Amersfoort, Holland, in the fall of 1987. Since the 45 was not yet physically available at the time of the event, winners received a note from CBS with details on the limited edition (which was later shipped to them) as well as general info about the “Brilliant Disguise” single and “Tunnel Of Love” album in Dutch language. Picture sleeve features a special four-line “Promotional Copy, Not For Sale, Attentie CBS, Springsteendag ‘87” imprint in the rear’s lower left area; the disc itself is a standard domestic red label copy.

Brilliant Disguise / Same (CBS DEP 594)
Argentine promotional release. Orange/yellow "Discos CBS" labels with Spanish song title translation ("Excelente Disfraz"); plain sleeve.

Brilliant Disguise / Fake (by Alexander O'Neal) (CBS JC 152095 7)
Italy-only promotional release for jukebox use. Originally came in unique black-and-white picture sleeve with title strip (featuring a misprint of "Brilliant Disguide"), although fully intact copies are extremely difficult to track down.

Tunnel Of Love / Two For The Road
Released worldwide with no remarkable packaging variations for commercial versions, although it is of note that CBS Holland produced two slightly different sleeves for the single (one using the standard design, and the other additionally featuring a white/blue title imprint in the upper left corner). Mislabelled US copies exist with the A-side label attached to the disc’s B-side, and vice versa. A one-sided yellow label promotional issue of “Tunnel Of Love” from Spain (CBS 651295 7; same catalogue number as regular European pressings) came with unique black-and-white picture sleeve.

Regular picture sleeve (left), Dutch variant with additional title imprint (center) and Spanish promotional sleeve (right) for "Tunnel Of Love"

Tunnel Of Love (Radio Edit) / Two For The Road (CBS 651295 7)
Rare UK-only release distributed in a black die-cut CBS company sleeve; contains a unique edited 4:13 version of “Tunnel Of Love”. Obviously pressed for radio station use, although the disc’s standard red labels (with same catalogue number as commercial UK/European issues) do not feature any promotional markings whatsoever.

Tunnel Of Love / Ain’t Got You / Brilliant Disguise / One Step Up (CBS 10522)
Bolivia-only EP; one of the rarest worldwide Springsteen 7-inch releases ever. Colour picture sleeve with “Tunnel Of Love” album cover artwork. Plays at 33 1/3 rpm and marks the only appearance of “Ain’t Got You” on the format.

Brilliant Disguise / Valentine’s Day (CBS 7013323)
Extremely rare Costa Rica-only release. Disc carries pink labels with Spanish song title translations and comes in a die-cut CBS Costa Rica logo sleeve.

1988
Tunnel Of Love / Valentine’s Day (CBS 7013384)
Unique coupling exclusive to Costa Rica. Note that this was the second consecutive Springsteen 7” release in that country featuring “Valentine’s Day” as its B-side.

One Step Up / Roulette
Issued in Europe (CBS 651442 7), the US (COL 38-07726), Australia (CBS 651442 7) and Japan (CBS/SONY 05SP 3017), where it was the last 7-inch vinyl single ever pressed. Black-and-white picture sleeve with no remarkable variations.

Tougher Than The Rest (album version) / Same (live) (CBS 651641 7)
Released in Australia and Europe with widely identical colour picture sleeves. One variation of note is the UK pressing (CBS BRUCE 3) which features pink "Bruce Springsteen" lettering on front, while all other issues have blue type instead. Limited editions from both Holland and the UK (CBS BRUCE B3) came sealed with a "Tunnel Of Love Express Tour" sew-on patch. In Germany, standard Dutch stock copies were distributed as promos with a German-language "CBS Blitzinformation" text sheet enclosed.

Tougher Than The Rest (album version) / Same (CBS PRO 443)
France-only white label promotional 45 issued to tie in with the 1988 Paris concert. Pressed in Holland. White title sleeve.

Tougher Than The Rest (album version) / Born In The U.S.A. (live) (CBS ARI 2087)
Spain-only yellow label promotional release commemorating the final two "Tunnel Of Love Express Tour" stops in Madrid and Barcelona. Unique title sleeve with concert dates lists the wrap-up appearance at Barcelona's Nou Camp Stadium for August 4, 1988, although this show actually took place one day earlier.

Tougher Than The Rest / Kissing A Fool (by George Michael) (CBS JC 15246)
Italy-only promotional release for jukebox use. Plain sleeve.

Spare Parts (album version) / Same (live) (CBS 652962 7)
Released in Europe and Australia (where it was the last Springsteen single pressed on 7-inch vinyl) with identical catalogue numbers. Colour picture sleeve without any remarkable variations.